Bands can be criticised for playing too much new material at a concert but Six60 did just that in Dunedin on Saturday and the crowd enjoyed every minute.
For nearly two hours the former Dunedin students rocked the Dunedin Town Hall and when the five-piece band walked on stage playing the song FTW - the first track of its new record - and frontman Matiu Walters sang ''this is for the world'' the Dunedin band signalled its confidence and global ambition.
The second song, Stay Together - again from the band's new album - had most of the near capacity hall singing along, a telling response to a song from an album released just three months ago.
''It's good to be home,'' Walters told the crowd.
Walters sang another new song, Find My Way, using a megaphone before launching into the hit single Rise Up 2.0 from the band's 2011 debut album.
More new songs in the set list, including Die For, gave Eli Paewai and Chris Mac a chance to drum together and Exhale gave Ji Fraser and Marlon Gerbes a chance to showcase their guitar style. The upbeat White Lines had the audience on every level singing and dancing.
''I knew it was going to be a good night,'' Walters said.
Walters then took his guitar to the gallery and sang Someone To Be Around, Last Ones Left and Finest Wine alone in a spotlight, surrounded by adoring fans.
On his return to the stage, he shook the hands of fans before the band played the tracks Only To Be and Forever from its debut album.
During Forever, it was evident how special the gig was to Walters, as he banged his fist repeatedly on his heart.
The gig was special for the audience too, with wide smiles everywhere. To finish Six60 performed its new song, Special.
After the band left the stage, the members could be seen on a big screen, slugging on a bottle of bourbon and pretending not to hear the crowd baying for more in an encore.
The band returned to play new song Mother's Eyes and hit single Don't Forget Your Roots - ''the very first song we wrote together at 660 Castle St'', Walters told the crowd before launching into the feel-good song to send the crowd home satisfied.
